


By The Hand

by EonAO3



Series: winter!witch [1]
Category: Bucky Barnes - Fandom, Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Scarlet Witch - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Wanda Maximoff - Fandom, the winter soldier - Fandom, winter!witch
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 00:26:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10560292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EonAO3/pseuds/EonAO3
Summary: Because after100,somebodywanted "a separate one shot of a clearly distressed super soldier being wrangled into the sun by our little witch".





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [interestedbystander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/interestedbystander/gifts).



> For my beloved Cass. My little gift for you and the wee bb, with all my love.

"You should try the view from the other side."

Bucky straightened up, drawing his elbows back from his knees and settling into the back of the couch. He let a soft snort escape him, finding the lighthearted sarcasm charming today.

He was still finding his footing in the compound. It had barely been a week since he arrived. Freed from the perpetual prison of HYDRA and the Winter Soldier Program's brainwashing, Bucky had tried his best to convey his gratitude to T'Challa and his team of scientists and doctors who'd worked so hard to keep him safe and figure out how to remove the trigger. The words seemed feeble. How could "thank you" ever be enough for what they did? But it was all he had. Bucky gave them his thanks and, almost a year after asking to be put back into cryo, he left Wakanda with Steve.

Steve had said the best place for him, for them, was at the compound, for now. Away from prying eyes of the media throngs in Manhattan, the sprawling acreage of the compound in upstate New York would be an easy start to a new life. It was also far enough away from Tony Stark. Bridges were being mended, put it was a painstaking process. Together in the vaguest of senses, the Avengers were still avoiding the public eye themselves and scattered around.

"It's already been such a wet Spring," she noted, "the flowers will bloom early. Soon it will be quite beautiful around here."

Bucky watched her walk around the far end of the coffee table to perch on the arm of the chair near the window. The little witch didn't seem so much to walk as to glide everywhere. Her footsteps always fell so softly, even in those boots she seemed so fond of, one could almost think she meant to sneak up on people. He found it a bit unnerving at first, even with his serum-enhanced hearing giving him notice, but now he understood it came from a sort of natural grace she had about her.

"You like it around here?" he wondered.

A faint grin came to her lips, as she looked around the room with a subtle nod. Wanda hummed her reply, tiny crinkles coming to the corners of her eyes when her smile widened and she spoke. "I like it here more than the city," she decided. "It's peaceful and the air is fresh." Her attention turned from out the window to Bucky, asking, "Do you like it here?"

"It is peaceful," he agreed, with a bob of his head.

"But something isn't quite right," Wanda suggested, a discerning squint coming to her eye. "You'd rather be somewhere else?"

Bucky shook his head, with a thoughtful frown. "No. Got nowhere else to be," he figured.

"It's stopped raining," she observed. "We should go outside."

He didn't have a quick reply. Truth was, he was a little surprised by the word "we". Such a casual suggestion. He didn't know why it made him suspicious. Bucky realized, instantly, that his reaction was ridiculous, but there was still so much he didn't know about her. Hell, that he didn't know about all of them. But she was there, at the airport last year, helping Steve. Maybe she had her own reasons; something she got out of it for herself, but she was still there, helping them- helping him. In that fraction of a delay, all he could think to do was noncommittally hum.

"You've been inside since you got here," Wanda gently pointed out. "It would hurt to see the rest of the compound? Or are you so fascinated by Stark's _modern_ decorating and these pale walls that you need nothing outside of them?"

Bucky looked over to see the playful smirk pulled into the corner of her mouth. He snorted and shook his head.

"A man your age needs his exercise," she quipped.

"So, you're one of them now?" Bucky groaned. "Yeah, me and Steve. Just a couple of geriatric curmudgeons, sitting on our asses, complaining about the good ol' days."

Wanda shrugged, nonchalantly reminding him, "Your words, not mine. So, it must be true."

"Ha," he huffed, his lips pushing to one side in feigned disapproval.

His eyes followed her up, when the little witch stood. She dusted a hand down the front of her skirt, as if it did anything useful, and walked along the front of the couch. She stopped beside him, holding her hand out to him. He looked at her offering, a brow quirked, incredulously. She turned her open palm up, unmistakably waiting for something.

"Come on," she firmly encouraged.

"You don't really-"

"I could make you stand and never touch you," Wanda coyly promised, "but I think we both would prefer if I didn't."

"Listen..." Bucky wasn't sure how to address her without coming off as an asshole. He settled on "kid" anyway and went on, "I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass."

Clearly not dissuaded, the determined Sokovian dipped at her knees and curled her fingers under his metal palm, leaning back to pull him along. The super soldier didn't budge, except his shoulders to shake with the stifled laugh at her frustrated pout and scuff of her heel against his weight. But she didn't give up, and she wrapped her other hand over the first and put her might into it. He allowed himself to stand this time, figuring she had earned that much for her efforts.

But when he expected her to let go, having accomplished her goal, she held on. Seemingly pleased with herself, Wanda moved to go outside. Turning away, her hand stretched out behind her, still latched to his, like a leash pulled against a stubborn dog. She glanced down, over her shoulder, and frowned.

"This is the part where you follow me outside," Wanda told him.

"What's the big deal, Red?" he complained, giving his hand a tug to shake her.

But the little witch held firm, logically reasoning, "There might be a wolf in the woods."

The subtlety of her joke didn't escape him. He set himself up for that one. Bucky was a little disappointed in himself that he let another soft chuckle escape him. He really did want to be alone. So, why did he keep giving her hope?

"What if he attacks me instead of you?" he checked.

"That's been my escape plan all along," she winked.

"So, I'm just the decoy," he scoffed.

"My sacrificial lamb," she grinned, and he swore he saw the Devil.

Something about that didn't sound so bad, but he didn't know why. She tugged his hand again and this time he moved. Hell if he knew why.


End file.
